1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to an improved data processing system and in particular to a method and apparatus for processing messages. Still more particularly, the present invention relates to a computer implemented method, apparatus, and computer usable program code for managing attachments for electronic mail messages.
2. Description of the Related Art
Electronic mail involves composing, sending, storing, and receiving messages over a network, such as the Internet. Electronic mail is also referred to as e-mail. E-mail has become a common form of communication for many people and is used for both personal and business purposes. Businesses often rely on e-mail messages to quickly send information. Oftentimes, the information may be sent in the form of attachments to e-mail messages. Users may access e-mail messages though a dedicated e-mail application, such as Lotus Notes or Microsoft Outlook. Lotus Notes is a product available from International Business Machines Corporation, and Microsoft Outlook is a product available from Microsoft Corporation. Users also may access e-mail messages through Web based interfaces using a program, such as a browser.
With the use of e-mail messages as a day to day means of communicating and sharing data in both personal and business environments, users often include attachments as part of these communications. These attachments take many forms. For example, the attachments are files, such as pictures, spreadsheets, or other types of documents. With respect to business users, these documents may be, for example, advertisements, contracts, financial spreadsheets, or any other type of document containing business information.
Currently, a file, such as a document or spreadsheet, is attached to an e-mail message as an attachment that is uploaded to an e-mail server from a client at which the e-mail message is composed. Oftentimes, a user will send e-mail messages with attachments to different recipients separately. For example, a user seeking a position may send a resume document as an attachment to hundreds of different potential employers. This type of communication requires the user to re-attach the same document over and over again. Other examples of documents that may be attached many times include, for example, profiles, advertisement documents, and technical specifications.
Each time a new e-mail message is sent, the attachment must be re-attached to the e-mail and uploaded to the server for distribution to the recipient. Such a process uses network resources and may result in a severe penalty with respect to bandwidth use for users sending e-mail messages over the Internet.
Currently, solutions for handling frequently used e-mail attachments include storing the attachment in a place accessible to the recipients. The attachments typically stored on the Internet and a locator, such as a universal resource locator, is sent in the e-mail message in place of the attachment. With this type of solution, the repeated transfer of the attachment from the e-mail client to the e-mail server is eliminated. Further, this type of solution allows users to re-use an attachment stored on a remote location with the user only having to send the same locator when the same attachment is to be sent.
One problem with this type of solution is that the solution requires a recipient to go outside of the e-mail framework and rely on the existence of other file storing or file sharing mechanisms. The file storing or sharing mechanism is not always available for all users. Another problem with this type of solution is that many organizations restrict the manner in which the Internet may be accessed by users. Mechanisms, such as firewalls, proxy servers, and Internet Protocol security policies may restrict certain protocols, ports, and Websites.
As a result, the universal resource locator in the e-mail message may not be accessible by all recipients of the message when they receive the e-mail message. Further, the universal resource locator to specific storage locations may be prohibited because such a solution is outside of the e-mail framework. This kind of prohibition is often enforced through security policies. As a result, this type of solution is not feasible in all instances.